Sing to the dawn
Dawan, a young village girl in Thailand, wins a scholarship to study in the city school. Her brother, Kwai, places second and was initially jealous, causing a rift between the two previously-close siblings. This hostility is further exacerbated by Dawan's father, who feels that the city is no place for a girl. Dawan faces obstacles at every turn, and eventually overcomes these obstacles and proves to herself and to others that she is fully capable of handling the scholarship and the responsibility it entails.
~My thoughts
I read this book sometime back, and it was really good. The language was simple and easy to understand, and the storyline was really good. Some parts were emotional, and I cried! Dawan believed in herself, and although she faced many setbacks, she still believed that females had a right to get a proper education, and pressed on. I wish there was a sequel to 'sing to the dawn' though. It was a good book, and I wanted to know what would happen to Dawan when she left for the city to further her studies. The book was realistic, and it made me think of it well after the last word. A really good book!